Resilient connection.



J. E. WEBSTER. BBSILIEHT CONNECTION.

APPLIOATION rum) AP'B.10, 190B.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

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BESILIENT CONNECTION.

APPLIOATION FILED APRHIO, 1908.

937,346. Patented 001;. 19, 1909.

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JOHN E. WEBSTER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF EASTPITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RESILIENT CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 90a. 19, 1909.

Application filed April 10, 1908. Serial No. 426,344.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN E. WEBSTER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ResilientConnections, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for resiliently and operatively connectingtwo members, such, for instance, as the driving wheels of electricrailway vehicles and the rotatable members of the propelling motorsthereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a resilient connection of thecharacter indicated that shall possess great flexibility and ceptionallystrong and durable.

v The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 ofwhich is a view in end elevation and in section of a portion of a wheeland the driving mechanism of a vehicle. Fig. 2 is a view in sideelevation and in section on line II-Il of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is also aview in side elevation and in section on line I1I1II of Fig. 1.

An axle 1,.upon which is mounted a driving wheel 2 having a plurality ofspokes 3, is surrounded by a quill a that carries the rotatable member 5of a propelling motor 6 for the vehicle, the quill 4 being provided withan end flange 7 to which are secured, by means of bolts 8, arms 9 thatextend outwardly between the spokes 3 of the driving Interposed betweenthe spokes of the driving wheel, and secured intermediate their ends tothe extremities of the arm 9, are a plurality of concentric helicalsprings 10 and 11, the outer spring 10 being of greater length than thespring 11 and being secured, at its ends, to the spokes 8. The means forsecuring the springs to the arm 9 comprises a split ring 12 formedintegral with the arm 9 at its extremity and screwthreaded upon itsinner circumferential face for the reception of the spring 10, a bolt 13being provided for clamping the ring 12 upon the spring 10. Withinthe'ring 12 and also within the spring 10 is another ring 14 that isscrew-threaded upon its outer circumferential surface to permit of itsbeing screwed into the spring 10 and also upon its inner circumferentialsurface to permit of its being screwed upon the spring 11. Within thering 14 and also within the spring 11 is a screw-threaded split ring 15into which is threaded a taper plug 16 for expanding the same andclamping the spring 11 between the rings 14 and 15, the ends of themembers 15 and 16 being somewhat extended for the purpose of limitingthe lateral deflections to which the spring 11 may be subjected bycentrifugal forces.

The means for securing the ends of the spring 10 to the driving wheelcomprises rings 18 that are bolted to lugs 20 formed integral with thespokes 3, and are screwthreaded upon their inner circumferential facesto permit of theirbeing screwed upon the ends of the helical spring 10.Within the rings 18, and also within the springs 10, are split rings 21that are adapted to be expanded, for the purpose of clamping the ends ofthe springs 10 between the same and the rings 18, by means ofscrew-threaded taper plugs 22. v

The spring 10 alone receives the normal forces exerted longitudinally ofits axis between the arms 9 and the driving wheel, and

to that end it is provided with a materially greater degree offlexibility than the inner spring 11 which is brought into action onlywhen the forces exerted between the connected members exceed the normalor other predetermined values. The advantage of this arrangement is,that the spring 10 may be so designed that the stresses to which it willbe subjected will be much lower than the maximum stresses which thematerial is capable of sustaining, with the result that the spring willbe very durable in service. Since the spring 11 is brought into playonly under abnormal conditions, which are likely to occur onlyinfrequently, the said spring will also be very durable. It follows,therefore, that the combination possesses great flexibility andstrength. As the end convolutions of the spring 10 are clamped betweenthe members 18 and 21, the former of which is rigidly secured to thespokes 3, and, as the intermediate convolutions are rigidly clamped in asimilar manner to the arm 9, the spring is capable of sustaining andresiliently opposing deflections transversely of its axis as well asboth compressive and tensile strains. Thus the construction andarrangement of the parts are such that the spring 10 is sub jected touniversal use, but is relieved of the extraordinary shocks transmittedbetween the wheel 2 and the quill 4:.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with two relatively movable members, of a helicalspring secured at its ends to one of the members and intermediate itsends to the other member, and another helical spring also securedintermediate its ends to the latter member and the extremities of whichdo not normally engage the former member.

2. The combination with two relatively movable members, of a helicalspring secured at its ends to one of the members and intermediate itsends to the other member, and another spring also secured intermediateits ends to the latter member.

3. The combination with two relatively movable members, of a helicalspring secured at its ends to one of the members and intermediate itsends to the other member, and another spring possessing a differentdegree of flexibility .also secured intermediate its ends to the lattermember.

4. The combination with two relatively movable members, of a helicalspring secured at its ends to one of the members and intermediate itsends to the other member, of another spring possessing a lesser degreeof flexibility and also secured intermediate its ends to the lattermember.

5. The combination with two relatively movable members, of a pluralityof'concentric helical springs of different lengths secured intermediatetheir ends to one of the members, and means for securing the extremitiesof the longer spring to the other member. I

6. The combination with two relatively movable members, of a pluralityof concentric helical springs of different lengths, clampingdevicesapplied to the springs intermediate their ends for securing thesame to one of the members, and clamping devices applied to the ends ofthe longer spring for securing the same to the other member.

7. The combination with two relatively movable members, of a pluralityof concentric helical springs of different lengths and different degreesof flexibility, means for securing the springs intermediate their endsto one of the members, and means for securing the extremities of thelonger spring to the other member.

8. The combination with two relatively movable members, of a pluralityof concentric helical springs of different lengths, concentric ringsapplied to the ends of the longer spring, means securing one of therings at each end of the spring to one of the members, concentric ringsapplied to the springs intermediate their ends, one of which is carriedby the other member, and means for clamping the springs between theconcentric rings.

9. The combination with a vehicle wheel and a driving member, of ahelical spring secured at its ends to the wheel, and intermediate its;ends to the driving member, and another spring secured intermediate itsends to the driving member and the extremities of which do not normallyengage the wheel.

10. The combination with a vehicle wheel and a driving member, of ahelicalj'spring secured at its ends to the wheel, and intermediate itsends to the driving member, and another spring possessing a differentdegree of flexibility secured intermediate its ends to the drivingmember and the extremities of which do not normally engage the wheel.

11. The combination with two concentrically mounted rotatable members,of an interposed helical spring and means for circumferentially grippingconvolutions of said spring and clamping the same rigidly to therespective members.

12. The combination with two concentrically mounted rotatable members,of a plurality of interposed helical springs and. means forcircumferentially gripping convolutions of each spring and rigidlyclamping the same to the respective members.

13. The combination with a driving member and a driven member each ofwhich has substantially radial arms or spokes, of helical springsinterposed between adjacent. arms or spokes of the respective members,and clamps which ciroumferentially grip convolutions of said springs.

14. The combination with an electric motor having arms projectingradially from its rotatable member, of a wheel having spokes whichalternate in position with said radial arms, helical springs interposedbetween said arms and said spokes, and clamps which circnmferentiallygrip certain convolutions of said springs both interiorly and exteriorlyand rigidly fasten the same to said arms and spokes.

15. The combination with a rotatable driving member and a concentricallymounted rotatable driven member, of a plurality of uniformly spacedhelical springs interposed between said members, and clamping devicesfor circumferentially gripping convolutions of each spring and anchoringthe same socurely to the respective members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day ofApril, 1908.

JOHN E. lVEBSTER.

Witnesses OTTO S. SOHAIRER, BIRNEY HINES.

